TONY CRANE
Lead guitar & lead vocals
1961 -

Tony Crane founder member of The Merseybeats was born on the 17th April in Liverpool, England, one of nine children. He has lived all his life in Liverpool, at the age of eleven he was a member of his local church band playing the trumpet. After leaving school he was employed for a short time as an Insurance Clerk at the Royal Liver Buildings in the city. Tony was smitten after seeing Elvis Presley starring in the film ‘Love Me Tender’ from that moment he was destined into the world of popular music. Tony was just sixteen when he created with Billy Kinsley a duo singing Buddy Holly, Billy Fury and Cliff Richard songs. Beat groups were fast becoming popular during Liverpool’s early musical boom. The way forward for this young duo was to form a beat group of their own and in 1961 was born ‘The Mavericks’ to be re-named The Merseybeats in 1962. Exceptional success in 1966 when Tony and Billy reverted back to a duo and re-christened themselves The Merseys and scored a hit with their recording ‘Sorrow’. Tony still fronts The Merseybeats as he has from the very beginning, steering the band through decade after decade. One of the best bands to evolve from Liverpool during the sixties has provided endless musical joy to thousands, all under the leadership and dedication of Tony Crane. He has a list of achievements to his name, including writing and co-writing a selection of Merseybeats recordings, in 1975 The Merseybeats recorded a version of Elvis Presley’s ‘American Trilogy’ re-titled ‘American Dream’ which was credited to Tony. His passion for Elvis contributed to him paying a personal tribute in song by recreating a ‘live’ Las Vegas show to commemorate Elvis’s first anniversary. The sell out performance on the 16th August 1978 was followed by tributes in 1987 and 1997. Tony received a worthy honour when he was voted by readers of a sixties music magazine Britains Top Male Vocalist for 1996.